Northern cardinal.
A northern cardinal and brittlebush wildflowers last week at the lower photo blind.
Gila Woodpecker
Gila Woodpecker.
These guys are everywhere except at the lower blind where for some reason the mockingbird aggressively chases them away. It tolerates all other wildlife, and even tolerates these guys at the water drip, but not near the lower feeders!
Mockingbird
Northern Mockingbird.
Northern Mockingbird with Parry’s Penstemon wildflowers last night at the lower blind.
Do you want to learn more about attracting and photographing birds and other wildlife? How about setting up perches, photographing wildflowers and landscapes? Well, we have one spot left for our Arizona Photography Workshop next month!
Female Cardinal
Northern Cardinal.
A new photo from the lower blind.
Northern Mockingbird
Northern Mockingbird.
A photo from the lower blind last week at the Desert Photo Retreat.
Sonoran Desert Tortoise
Sonoran Desert Tortoise.
The rain has brought out yet another new species to the Desert Photo Retreat, a Sonoran Desert Tortoise! Considering they can spent up to 95% of their life in an underground burrow, it is a real treat to spot one of these guys!
Desert Rain!
Rain at the Desert Photo Retreat, near Tucson, Arizona.
Bobcat!
Bobcat, Desert Photo Retreat, near Tucson, Arizona.
Yesterday in the late afternoon I was working on the computer in our RV when I heard the birds all flush at once. This happens a couple of times a day, and I usually jump up and try to find the bird of prey that lead to the panic. Well yesterday I was surprised to see something working its way through the Ironwood. At closer look I realized it was a bobcat! It came down and drank for some time from our water drip next to our RV, then looked around and finally slowly walked away. My heart was racing with excitement! I have seen them on the game cam at night, but have never been able to photograph one until yesterday.
About a half hour later, I cut across a small wash near our to meet an arriving guest. I was startled when the bobcat appeared just 5 feet away from me and then slowly walked off! He had been hiding there the whole time. Ten minutes later I would see the top of his back above a boulder as it slowly made its way back down to the feeders! It clearly didn’t mind my presence. However, that little ground squirrel that keeps eating on my flip flops better be aware!